So, things have been pretty quiet here on the Bransforums. I'm hoping that's because everyone has been so busy writing and editing they haven't had time to check in.
Well... how have you done? Did you accomplish a bit of craft over the holidays? Or were you neck deep in parties, gift-giving, and food-making? I pretty much fell into the latter.

"Don't only practice your art, but force your way into its secrets, for it and knowledge can raise men to the divine."
~ Ludwig van Beethoven

A bit of both. Normally November and December are horrible months for my writing (I have three family birthdays plus all the holidays and my husband having lots of time off) but this year I was actually, gasp, productive!! I finished the draft of my WIP and sent it off my critique partner just after Christmas. I couldn't have been happier, especially when the review came back mostly positive. Got some work to do, of course, and lots to think about, but it was very encouraging.

On the reverse side, I've been super busy and stressed out. The afore-mentioned business was crazy for a while, then stomach flus put me and husband down for several days, then right after Christmas we had to take our 17-year-old cat to the vet cause we thought she'd had a stroke. Thank God it was only some ear infections that messed with her vestibular system (her inner sense of gravity and balance) so she's on antibiotics and doing much better. Phew! I get all worn out just typing that.

2013 is looking good for me so far. I'm jazzed to get fixing my WIP and maybe even start some outlining for my next project. My goal is to have a novel sent out to agents by the end of year so I'd best get on it, huh?

Brenda :)

Inspiration isn't about the muse. Inspiration is working until something clicks. ~Brandon Sanderson

I don't think my world has been nearly as hectic and Brenda's, but Christmas time always means family time, and present shopping time, and some writing time, and colds. Right now I have a cold that is really clogging up my brain, which is annoying b/c I took off work and therefore have time to write! Only I'm not sure I should be writing b/c my brain is clogged up.

It has been really quiet. I pop in every now and then and haven't seen much activity.

I finished a major overhaul of my novel before Christmas, and I took the holidays off to recharge and catch up on some reading. I'm now going back to my NaNo novel of last year to clean it up and flesh it out. There's a lot of work that needs to be done to it, but not as much as I initially feared, which is good.

Brenda, I'm glad your kitty is doing good, and if you need another critter, I'll be happy to take a look at it.

Personally, first I moved to Atlanta, then I've been looking for jobs. I had really hoped that moving to a bigger city would help matters, but no...not really. There's a lot more openings, but there's also a lot more applicants, and I gotsta get paid--or rather, the bills do. So for the moment, I'm almost 30, I've got a BFA Cum Laude, and tomorrow morning I start my first day making minimum wage at a pet store.

As for my writing, I've been holding off on doing any actual writing until my web-comic wraps up, but that's only got a few weeks left. In the meantime, I've mentioned before how much I love world-building; I've been steadily working on the world of my YA fantasy-based-on-American-folklore series, and it's getting up to Rowlingesque levels of detail. I've named fictional novelists and written menus; the latest project was putting together a cult running out of a ruined museum, whose prophet's rantings are a mash-up of Alistair Crowley, various turn-of-the-century Apocalyptic cult leaders, Francis E. Dec, Time Cube, and Scientology--plus Charles Guiteau, the guy that shot President Garfield for not appointing him Ambassador to France. There's a lot this detail that probably won't show up in the finished project, but I like having it there anyway.

Everybody loves using things as other things, right? Check out my blog at the Cromulent Bricoleur and see one hipster's approach to recycling, upcycling, and alterna-cycling (which is a word I just made up).

...I've been busy with things at work. I got moved from one department to another because of reasons. The new department has less call flow, and now I work 12 hour weekends, so I have plenty of time to get writing and such, which is one reason I have decided to work on it again.

[breathes after the horrible run on]

So...I have been busy. Christmas was amaaaazingly awesome. My niece got to have Santa visit her at her Nana's house (my mom) and she got the one present she wanted from me, and was so excited. Actually, everyone got what they wanted and more, and I feel it an accomplishment to make people happy. :3

It was a good day, that day.

Aaaanyway. Before that, I was trying to rebuild my life after the job I had for six years laid me off with the excuse of belt tightening "though you do all the work the other guy has been here longer and has three kids".

...
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So yeah. It took about a year to get back to myself and I feel...better. And now I can write again! Whoo hoo!